The present invention pertains generally to decorative lighting such as strings of Christmas tree lights and more particularly to a support therefor.
A common practice for the attachment of lights to a home or other building is by the suspension of the conductor for the lights on nails or hooks driven into the siding material of the house or other type of building. The light string is placed on the nails, hooks, etc., by resting same thereon at spaced apart intervals. A drawback to such installation of a light string is the reluctance of many homeowners to drive nails at close intervals into a wall surface. A further drawback is that lights so attached are subject to being dislodged by gusts of wind.
A further problem encountered by homeowners in the use of decorative lights is that such strings can readily tangle during installation, storage or removal of the strings. The somewhat fragile nature of decorative lighting renders same susceptible to damage during the time consuming task of untangling.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,995,181 is of interest in that it discloses a tubular light support with opposed edges defining openings at intervals for the reception of the light bulbs of a string of decorative lights. Corner pieces join multiple light supports to form a light supporting frame. The conductor and the light sockets thereon are housed in the tubular support.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,888,671 discloses a flexible light holding strip for wall attachment. Separate light holders are slidably mounted on the strip and each defines a light receiving socket.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,769,749 shows a pliable plastic strip to which a string of Christmas lights may be attached with the light socket in frictional engagement with the strip.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,357,653 shows a light holding frame with corner pieces and with sockets formed along the frame members. A conductor passes along a channel formed in each frame member. Bulb sockets on the light string slide laterally into place in slotted bores.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,052,425 shows hingedly attached light supports each having a series of pairs of flanges between which paired flanges are inserted the socket of each light bulb of a light string.